Children in Sudan have continued to pay the highest price for the war that erupted in April 2023. Young people in many cities and regions across the country have not been spared from indiscriminate — and at times deliberate — shelling, as well as exchanges of gunfire, resulting in serious injuries.
Many children have been forced to undergo amputations because of delays in receiving medical care. Thousands are now living under extremely difficult physical and psychological conditions after losing mobility, while others struggle to adapt to life with prosthetic limbs despite persistent pain and suffering.
Suffering in Conflict Areas
Tragedies have multiplied in conflict zones, especially in South and West Kordofan, in addition to the Darfur states, due to the collapse of healthcare services following the shutdown of hospitals and medical centers, the displacement of medical staff, and severe shortages of medicines and supplies. At the same time, hundreds of families are unable to afford treatment after exhausting their financial savings.
As a result of these conditions, dozens of children lost their limbs while playing in front of their homes, while others were injured in drone strikes. Many families have resorted to selling everything they own in order to provide treatment and prosthetic limbs in the hope of restoring smiles to their children’s faces.
Meanwhile, volunteers and doctors in conflict areas said that “the condition of injured children has become increasingly catastrophic, particularly for those exposed to shelling in densely populated areas.”
In one hospital in Central Darfur State, 10-year-old Fatima lies in bed after shrapnel from an airstrike tore off her leg below the knee.
Cases of Permanent Disability
Acting Minister of Social Development in Khartoum State, Siddig Farini, stated that “6,000 children suffered varying injuries that resulted in permanent disabilities during the war in Sudan.”
He noted the “urgent need to provide prosthetic limbs, specialized psychological support, and child-friendly spaces, as well as the rehabilitation of training centers for displaced children and those deprived of parental care.”
For his part, former Director General of the Public Authority for Prosthetic Devices, Jamal Hamid, pointed to “a sharp increase in demand for prosthetic limbs, with around 900 prosthetic devices being manufactured monthly.”
He stressed that this figure does not include amputations caused by diabetes complications or traffic accidents.
Thousands of Children Affected
In the same context, Secretary-General of Sudan’s National Council for Child Welfare, Abdelqader Abdullah, said that “more than 1.5 million children with disabilities have suffered various injuries from artillery shelling and drone attacks since the outbreak of the war.”
He explained that “200,000 children in El Fasher and Nyala in North and South Darfur states were exposed to shelling by the Rapid Support Forces from the beginning of the war until August 2025, in addition to more than 100 children affected in areas stretching from Omdurman in Khartoum State to Bara and Abu Qouta in North Kordofan due to escalating attacks by those forces.”
He further noted that “around one million children were killed as a result of participation in the fighting, while the number of injured children reached approximately 315.”
He added that the Child Welfare Council, in cooperation with partners, will begin implementing a nationwide health survey and develop plans this year to strengthen services provided to children.
Psychological Impacts
Psychologist Sarah Al-Sadiq told Mashawir that “the experience of a child losing a limb or part of their body is a traumatic event that affects their entire life. However, modern scientific approaches provide methods of support that can help children regain psychological balance and protect them from post-traumatic stress disorders.”
She added that “the psychological impact of such loss largely depends on the child’s age and the severity of the trauma. Children therefore need specialized therapy sessions to help them adapt to their new lives, while rapid provision of prosthetic limbs can ease their suffering.”
She explained that “the morale of the people surrounding these children is extremely important and greatly helps their response to treatment. Young people need to see examples of courage and resilience in others in order to overcome difficulties safely and maintain psychological well-being.”
